


Faster, Slower

by Spiria



Category: Final Fantasy XIII-2
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-03-19
Packaged: 2018-03-18 17:06:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3577245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spiria/pseuds/Spiria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hope is a fast reader, but there's no harm in taking it slow sometimes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Faster, Slower

**Author's Note:**

> For Koyu. The prompt was "affectionate things," but this is about as mild as it can get.

Being a famous time traveler within the Academy, Noel was allowed to roam as he pleased within headquarters. He walked around in a large circle to stretch his legs whenever he sensed an oncoming cramp. For the most part, however, he stayed at Hope’s side, opposite to Alyssa, and glimpsed the various research projects that passed through Hope’s terminal like a blur.

“How do you read all that so fast?” he asked.

“You get used to it,” said Hope.

Alyssa nodded, mirth in her voice. “Give it some time, and you might be as fast as the Director one day.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

Hope chuckled, a noncommittal response that pulls a wry smile from Noel. That late night, once Hope retired from work after everybody else, he came upon Noel at home and sat down beside with a book.

“What’s that?” asked Noel, craning his neck to catch the title on the spine.

“It’s a book on history,” said Hope, offering the book to Noel. “One of many volumes, that is. Academia has a preference for digital text, but I managed to find this one.”

Noel turned the book in his hands and felt the smooth texture of the hardcover. The book was thick with hundreds of pages, no doubt as long as its surrounding volumes. He glanced at the spine to peruse the title and subtitle, which revealed the content to cover an era preceding the fall of Cocoon.

“So you read a thousand reports at work, and now you want to read a textbook at home?” asked Noel, arching a brow.

“Actually, I was hoping you’d read it,” said Hope.

“Does it talk about something that I need to know?”

“I can’t guarantee what’s here hasn’t already been covered in large part by your grandmother, but . . . ”

“‘But’?”

Hope shook his head. “None of it is necessary, per se. You commented on the reading I do at the Academy, so I thought a change of pace would be appropriate.”

“Not to be a downer, but I’d hate to be reading this while you’re sitting next to me.” Noel gestured to the book, waving it in his other hand for emphasis on size. “This is going to take me weeks!”

“You can read it aloud.”

“Oh, _that’s_ your plan. You could have just said so.”

“I’ll try to be more blunt in the future,” said Hope, warmly. He gestured to the book, and Noel spread it open on his lap.

“From the beginning?” asked Noel.

Nodding, Hope scooted closer on the couch to look at the index alongside Noel. “The beginning.”


End file.
